ROY Hodgson admits he will have to perform a balancing act when selecting Crystal Palace’s starting XI in the Carabao Cup at Plymouth tomorrow.
The Eagles travel to Devon to take on a Pilgrims side still on a high following their recent promotion to the Championship.
Hodgson acknowledges some changes are likely on his part following Saturday’s hard-fought 1-1 draw at Brentford, but fringe players will still have to earn the right to get the chance to impress.
He said: “I haven’t really given Plymouth anywhere near as much thought as I am about to give them now that this game is out of the way. It has all been Brentford, Brentford, Brentford, Brentford.
“That is where I have been and now I am thinking Plymouth.
“It is the usual balancing act. We don’t want to send a reserve team down there and get beaten by a very good Plymouth because we know how good they are.
“If we are going to get a result down there, we are going to have to play a good team.
“So it will be presumably some sort of balancing act where we don’t jettison anyone that we feel is a first team player from the last three games just to give someone who has not had a kick of the ball yet.
“You have to deserve it, you have to deserve a kick of the ball, you have to deserve a place in the team in place of anyone I decide to leave out.”
After what has already been a hectic start to the current Premier League campaign, Hodgson also accepts the dangers of early fatigue among his squad will be a factor in his thinking about who starts at Home Park
“Yes, it does,” revealed the Eagles chief.
“I’ve got to say, at Palace during the time I’ve been here we haven’t placed too much focus on cup games.
“I’m a bit disappointed of course our squad is three top first team players lighter than perhaps it should be. That would have made life a bit easier for me perhaps.
“But certainly we would like to give the Carabao Cup a run for its money.
“It certainly won’t be like it has been on certain occasions during my time at the club where survival in the Premiership has been so far away – and the only thing we can put our minds to – that we’ve virtually rested anyone who might be needed for the next game.
“Both things will feature in my thinking, but what my thinking is at the moment I’m afraid only I know.”
